This study is part of a search for sustainable solutions for access to drinking water in rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire, where boreholes in bedrock areas are the main source of drinking water supply. The objective is to statistically analyse the flow rates (Q, in m3/h) of water boreholes in the N’zi-Comoé region in order to assess their variability, distribution and relevance in characterising the aquifer potential in bedrock environments. To do this, descriptive statistics and the Shapiro-Wilk and Chi2 statistical tests of normality were used. This approach yielded relevant results, namely an average flow rate of 5.71 m3/h, which is lower than the standard deviation, and a coefficient of variation of 131%. These values indicate a high degree of heterogeneity in flow rates in the N’ZI-Comoé region. This highlights the discontinuous nature of the aquifer tapped for drinking water supply not only in the study area but also in the bedrock environment in Côte d’Ivoire.
The increase in agricultural production is accompanied by a growth in the use of plant protection products, with inappropriate use of doses and frequency of treatment, leading to negative effects on the environment and human health. The aim of this study is to identify the parameters that contribute to the deterioration of surface and groundwater quality in agricultural environments in the department of Agboville. The methodology involved studying the relationships between chemical elements indicative of agricultural contamination and pesticide residues measured in the water sampled. The results show that more than half (52%) of the water points sampled were surface water and 48% were groundwater. In the rainy season, 68% of water points have an NO3- concentration > 10 mg/L and in the dry season, 85% of water points have an NO3- concentration > 10 mg/L. Nitrates come mainly from leaching from agricultural land and the decomposition of organic matter. High concentrations of herbicides (glyphosate: 0,52 µg/L and glyphosate isopropylamine salt: 0,30 µg/L) were detected in water from rubber plantations and rice fields, while high levels of insecticides (deltamethrin: 0,3 µg/L and chlorpyrifos-ethyl: 0,4 µg/L) were observed in water from market gardens. Water points located inside and/or near old plantations (over 15 years old) are the most contaminated. Surface water is more contaminated than groundwater, and contamination is greater in the rainy season than in the dry season.